Which is the max, Max?
Somehow, a few football games are seared on the mind deeper than others.
Ty Detmer had his Miami victory, Marc Wilson had that national TV blowout win over San Diego State, and Jim McMahon will always be remembered for the 1980 Miracle Bowl. Robbie Bosco had that win over Michigan to cap a perfect season. For Steve Young, it was a win over UCLA in Pasadena, and John Beck earned his fame with a crazy game-winning touchdown pass to Jonny Harline at Utah in 2006.
Every Cougar quarterback can go down the list and proclaim his favorite collegiate moments.
Max Hall has won more games than any quarterback in BYU history. So, heading into the final game of his collegiate career in the Las Vegas Bowl, what victories make his own Top 10 list?
I caught up with Hall and asked him to rank the Top 10 of his school-record 31 wins.
The occasion came after practice and it was right from the gut, a quick check-off list exercise. He took the list and immediately and without hesitation marked off his top five.
Then it got tougher to break them down and make a choice.
Here's Hall's Top 10:
1. BYU 26, Utah 23 (OT), Nov. 28, 2009: The latest, the greatest. While statistically it was one of his worst performances, the emotion spent by the seniors during and after in celebration on their home field on senior day elevates it as Hall's most satisfying victory and play — a winning breakaway TD toss to Andrew George.
2. BYU 14, Oklahoma 13, Sept. 5, 2009: A stunning upset of then-No. 3 Oklahoma in the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium featured a breathtaking length-of-the-field drive for a winning TD pass to McKay Jacobson.
3. BYU 17, Utah 10, Nov. 24, 2007: A Mountain West Conference championship trophy set up by a famous "Magic Happens" fourth-and-18 conversion, a pass to Austin Collie at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
4. BYU 59, UCLA 0, Sept. 13, 2008: The Bruins came to Provo nationally ranked after defeating Tennessee, and the hammer the Cougars laid down on UCLA was a complete massacre.
5. BYU 27, TCU 22, Nov. 8, 2007: The win over the Frogs in Provo was the sixth in a win streak that would grow to 16 after losses to UCLA and Tulsa in September of that year. It was a stepping-stone to an undefeated league record and an MWC title.
6. BYU 20, Arizona 7, Sept. 1, 2007: As a former Arizona State quarterback, Hall saw to it that this was a revenge-game win for the Cougars, who'd lost to the Wildcats with John Beck in Tucson the year before. It was Hall's first collegiate start.
7. BYU 45, Colorado State 42, Nov. 1, 2008: A hard-fought, crazy shootout in Fort Collins, Colo., with Hall's brother-in-law, tight end Dennis Pitta, making monster catches, including a TD grab as his helmet popped up in the air like a cork plug from a bottle top.
8. BYU 38, Air Force 21, Nov. 21, 2009: A convincing home win after road victories at Wyoming and New Mexico, righting the ship after the disappointing 38-7 homecoming loss to TCU. Hall had 33 completions and 5 TD passes.
9. BYU 17, UCLA 16, Dec. 22, 2007: A blocked kick ensured a BYU win and an 11-win season, capping Hall's first campaign as a Cougar with a bowl victory and an MWC title.
10. BYU 28, Washington 27, Aug. 30, 2008: A win in Pac-10 territory, set up by Jan Jorgensen's blocked PAT that made national headlines for a celebration penalty on UW's Jake Locker. Harvey Unga's fumble on a goal-line run after a long BYU drive set up the drama by the Huskies.
Why is BYU's last game, that overtime win over Utah, his No. 1?
"It was really emotional and I think people can tell how emotional I was and the meaning of that," said Hall.
"To have it come down to overtime and to throw a pass and have a guy make a great play and split two defenders and run it for a touchdown was probably the best feeling in my career, and close behind that was the Oklahoma win."
If Hall ends his BYU career with a win over Oregon State in Las Vegas, where the Beavers are favored, he'll wind up with a 32-7 record and five-game winning streak.
For the seniors, Hall believes this last game will be another emotional outing against the Beavers, a team that could have easily been in the Rose Bowl if not for a few plays against rival Oregon.
"It's been a blast. The way things worked out, me coming here in the first place, it's been quite a ride," he said. "It's been a ton of fun. I've been able to play with some great guys and made some really close friends and people I'll be friends with for a long time.
"It's probably done more for me than I've done for the school here. We've definitely had our ups and downs, but I have no regrets and I'm just glad for all the experiences I've had."
e-mail: dharmon@desnews.com